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Poland, Some Sad History But A Beautiful Country

It is well past midnight as our car takes an exit off the main highway somewhere in Poland. Somehow my sleeping body senses a change in motion and half asleep I ask what is going on and discover that we are in search of a hotel for the night.

Maneuvering in one direction then another with a u-turn here and there along mostly dimly lit streets, eventually we end up in a town area and find a hotel. Fortunately, for us we are checking in at the same time as another late night driver who happens to speak Polish and English. He is more than helpful in acting as a translator for us with the front desk clerk.

Exhausted, we crash for the night not knowing that our wild goose chase has lead us to a quaint and beautiful discovery.

The morning sun comes and it does little to disturb our sleep as it is late in the morning when we begin to rise and shine. After checking out of our restful station for the night, we set out to really have a look at where our first night in Poland has landed us.

It is a pleasant surprise when I discover that we are just a few blocks from the city center of Legnica, Poland where a 13th century Gothic Temple magnificently makes its presence known. On a beautiful summer morning its fine architecture and brick red colors contrast nicely with the bright blue and almost cloudless skies.

For me, just as impressive as its outer structure is its inner beauty with amazing arches and spectacular stained glass windows.

Leaving the Gothic Temple area, we stroll around town and I admire the colorful buildings and historic European architecture. Our path takes us next to a gorgeous Catholic church built hundreds of years ago. I am always impressed with the obvious craftsmanship that goes into building these splendid structures.

A first for us is a visit to a free museum that has a collection of historic stones and stone fragments. I find these outdoor exhibits interesting although I cannot read any of the faded inscriptions on many of them.

Our strolling has worked up an appetite that leads us to Cyrus Kebab. Here we sit in a street patio area as we wait for our food we ordered inside at the counter to be delivered.

As our food is served we determined it is probably not a good idea to order “Max” for one person. Luckily for us one of our orders is lost in translation and only one “Max” order is presented.

At Cyrus Kebab one “Max Gyro” order served piled high with shaved meat could have served all four of us.

At least now we won't have to eat until we arrive in Krakow unless of course we happen to find some ice cream.

Absolutely-- the people was what I was most impressed about. Friendly and kind and they seemed genuinely happy you are visiting Most young people can commnunicate in English very well. I loved Krakow and Southern Poland; Gorlice, Zdynia, Nowy Zacs...

After what some would consider being lost, we pull into a local gas station to get our sense of bearing and come up with a new plan for the evening. Instead of visiting Krakow this afternoon and then spending the night near Auschwitz, we will just stay the night in Krakow.

With no hotel plans for Krakow, we roll into town and then make a u-turn when a sign catches our eyes.

At Camping Smok we inquire about a room and find a spacious one to our liking. After some relaxing time lounging around, we are ready to head into Krakow for the evening.

Parking our car on the sidewalk, we are delighted when we come across a 24hr, order at the window and eat on the sidewalk restaurant that seems very popular with the locals.

As the rest of the gang waits in line to order, I head off to a nearby grocery store to buy our beverages. As I leave, I hope at least one of them has not forgotten our earlier experience.

Returning from my shopping spree with some “OK Beer”, I discover that with a culinary sense of adventure my son has randomly ordered for himself and ends up with a “I Have No Idea” sandwich.

The rest of us stick with the tried and true although we are still surprised by the size and weight of our regular order of gyros this time wrapped and topped with nice warm fries.

Did you know that one of the largest medieval squares in Europe is in Krakow?

It is a gorgeous summer evening as along with others we enjoy the Main Market Square which was first designed in 1257. Anchored here is St. Mary's Basilica which I am told alone is worth a visit to see the magnificent altarpiece.

On a Friday night, as I am sure it is on many other nights this area is alive and vibrant. Patrons dine at restaurants that line portions of the square and watch as romantic horse drawn carriages circle the area.

A few blocks from the Main Market Square the area becomes more lively as music emanates from the surrounding buildings. This is one area that houses some of Krakow’s famous nightlife. We make a brief stop in one venue to be entertained by the next “Polish Idol” but then continue our nighttime strolling.

To my delight, I get to try a new twist with ice cream. This time it is a “Go Fry”, a scoop or two of a local fruit flavored ice cream on top of a waffle. If this will work with pancakes, I think I may have just discovered a way to have ice cream for breakfast.

If only I were a King like Casimir III The Great Of Poland (1334), I would by Royal Proclamation declare it to be so.

Navigating across town we find a parking spot somewhere near our planned destination and start walking on an already hot morning. Somehow, I am sure the morning heat will add to my experience of the next couple of hours.

We arrive at Schindler's Factory where a small queue has formed for an entrance into a building that holds a sad part of Poland's history.

Since we are a family of four we get a discounted admission of 50PLN instead of 76PLN based on an individual admission of 19PLN per adult.

For about the next two hours I painfully learn more about the history of this beautiful city and the atrocities committed here against innocent people.

It is truly a moving experience to find out more about such a sad chapter in Poland's and humanity's history.

My most touching moment comes towards the end of the tour while reading a displayed quote about a victim pleading for help knowing she was going to the gas chamber.

Mr Schindler was definitely a hero of the day.

Unfortunately, the world still needs more people like Mr. Schindler because in many ways and places similar atrocities still sadly continue.

DMBtraveler, That is a very moving video. Since you are interested in Polish history you might enjoy reading THE LAST MAZURKA: A FAMILY’S TALE OF WAR, PASSION, and LOSS by Andrew Tarnowski.

It is the tale of an aristocratic Polish family from the 1920 – 1980s who were totally displaced by WWII, ended up in the UK, and then returned to visit during the Communist regime. There were some crazy characters among them but their experience dramatizes how the Polish people were caught between the Nazis to the west and the Soviets to the west – squashed in the middle.

latedaytraveler-- part of the reason we were in Poland was an ancestry trip. My husband's family were deported by the communist Polish Government from Southern Poland (Lemkovyna; Gorlice) after WWII ended. The Red Army relocated more than 160,000 people from south to western Poland on what was known as OPERATION VISTULA (1947). It adds to the already sad history, but it also attest to the resiliency of this beautiful country.

I will be home exchanging in Bielsko-Bialla (SW of Krakow) and Krakow in the city during July-August 2014 abd an reading your trip report with interest. I have heard nothing but good things about Poland.

I did laugh about your "I don't know" sandwiches. One of my home exchanges this summer was in Spain and I have had "I don't know" food. It's part of the adventure.